Methods which are currently, generally used in molecular diagnostics to detect target genes of analytes are broadly classified into quantitative methods and qualitative methods.
A quantitative method is a method of relatively or absolutely measuring expression levels and copy numbers of target genes. On the other hand, a qualitative method is a method of analyzing existence and genotypes of target genes.
As a quantitative detection method, there is real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (real-time PCR). A detection method using real-time PCR is broadly used due to advantages thereof wherein quantitative analysis is possible, and sample contamination risk by air can be reduced because gene amplification signals from the samples can be obtained, without opening a tube containing the samples, after mixing with a reagent. However, since a number of fluorescences simultaneously detectable in one tube is up to six, several tubes are necessary in fields in which dozens of gene mutations and genotypes are examined.
As a large-scale qualitative detection method, there is a method using a DNA microarray. This method using a DNA microarray has an advantage in that multiple target probes are fixed to a surface and thus a variety of genes can be detected at one time using one phosphor. However, there is a limitation that quantitative analysis is impossible.
Recently, research into a quantitative and qualitative detection method to address drawbacks of such a qualitative or quantitative detection method is underway. As a result of such research, technology enabling quantitative analysis to be performed in one container using real-time PCR, and multianalysis to be possible by reacting amplified genes with probes fixed to a solid bottom of a container was developed. However, this technology has a limitation that, in order to obtain probe signals, the probe signals should be read by means of a separate scanner, after opening or washing a container.
Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-0102560 as a related technology, published on Sep. 24, 2010, discloses a method of detecting nucleic acids using an integrated device for real-time nucleic acid analysis and a method of detecting target nucleic acids using the same.